Michel r



M. R. CASTILLE.

SIGN.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.24| I919.

Patented Sept. 2, 1919.

2/. A. Gals-6646a MICHEL R. CASTILLE, 0F OPELOUSAS, LOUISIANA.

SIGN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 2, 1919.

Application filed January 24, 1919. Serial No. 272,886.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, MICHEL R. OAs'rILLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Opelousas, in the parish of St. Landry and State of Louisiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Signs, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to sign holders and has for its object the provision of a comparatively simple and thoroughly efficient device of this character capable of being readily attached to an automobile, building or other movable or stationary structure and which may be conveniently operated either to display an advertising card or house said card against inspection.

he invention further aims to provide a sign holder including relatively stationary and movable leaves adapted to support a display card, one of said leaves being provided with a dependin operating handle by turning which the movable leaf may be actuated either to display or cover said card.

A further object is to provide means for locking the movable leaf of the holder in either open or closed position and means for detachably securing said holder in position on a support.

The invention further contemplates a sign holder, the component parts of which may be stamped or otherwise formed of metal and so constructed as to permit said parts to be quickly assembled without the employment of special tools.

A still further object of the invention is generally to improve this class of devices so as to increase their utility, durability and efliicency.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of an automobile equipped with a si n holder constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the holder;

1 Fig. 31is an end elevation partly in section;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the sign holder detached;

ig. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a modified form of the invention.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

The improved sign holder forming the catch 14 the d subject-matter of the present invention is shown by way of illustration applied to an automobile of the ordinary construction in which 5 designates the top, 6 the side bow and 7 the vertical brace to which the side bow is connected.

he device comprises relatively stationary and movable card-carrying members or leaves 8 and 9, said leaves being preferably rectangular in shape, as shown, and stam ed or otherwise formed of sheet metal. he leaves 8 and 9 are each provided with an opening 10, preferably of a marginal outline corresponding to that of the shape of the leaf to permit the display of an advertising card or sign, indicated at 11, in the present instance the sign or card having printed thereon the words For hire. Stamped or otherwise formed integral with the leaves 8 and 9 are holdin clips 12, preferably four in number as siown, said clips being bent into engagement with the rear face of the adjacent leaf and thence bent to form sockets 13 adapted to receive the display card 11. Secured to the upper portion of each leaf directly above the openmg 10 is a catch 1-1, preferably in the formof a leaf spring, the upper end of which is riveted or otherwise rigidly secured to the leaf, as indicated at 15, so that the free end of the spring is normally spaced from the rear surface of the leaf and extends into the pat of movement of the display card and serves to prevent displacement of said display card after the latter has been positioned within the holding clips. It will thus be seen that by depressing the free end of the isplay card may be readily inthe holding clips from the back of the sign holder and When released said catch Wlll springoutwardly and prevent vertical displacement of the card.

The stationary member or leaf 8 is. provided with a flat depending extension 16, the lower end of which is bent laterally at substantially right angles thereto to form a locking flange 17. The outer edge of the locking flange 17 is preferably curved or rounded while the central portion thereof is formed with a circular bearing opening 18 adapted to receive the pintle pin 19 of the movable leaf of the holder. The pintle pin right angles thereto. upper end of the pintle pin 19 projects through an opening 20 in an overhanging ear 21 on the upper edge of the stationary leaf 8, the adjacent end of the pin 19 being preferably upset or bent laterally, as indicated at 22. The lower end of the pintle pin 19 projects through the bearing opening and is extended to form an operating handle 23 by turning which the movable memher 9 may be actuated either to display or cover the sign 11. The metal constituting the pintle pin 19 is preferably formed with spaced incisions and the material between said incisions bent laterally and downwardly to form an angularly disposed locking member 24, the depending finger 25 of which is adapted to enter either one of a pair of openings 26 formed in the locking flange 17 for the purpose of holding the movable leaf in either open or closed position.

As a means for attaching the sign holder to the vertical brace of an automobile or other suitable support there is provided a clamping member formed of mating sections 27 and 28, the inner faces of which are provided with registering grooves 29 adapted to receive the vertical brace 7 and to which said sections are detachably secured by bolts or similar fastening devices 30. The clamping section 28 is provided with a shoulder 31 defining a thickened portion 32 to the fiat face of which is detachably secured the extension 16 of the stationary leaf 8. The extension 16 is provided on pintle pin 19 with an opening 32 and on the other side of the opening with a segmental slot 33 through which pass bolts or other securing devices 3a. The sign holder is thus detachably secured to the thickened portion of the clamp 28 and may be readily detached when desired by merely removing the bolts 34:. Owingto the formation of the segmental slot 33' in the extension 16, the sign holder may be readily tilted at any desired angle or inclination by merely loosening the bolt 34 and subsequently tightening said bolt after the adjustment of the sign holder has been efiected as will be readily understood. The shoulder or offset 31 spaces the handle 23 a sufficient distance from the clamping members to permit the operator to readily turn said handle and operate the sign. The upper end of the movable leaf 9 is preferably cut away at 35 to allow vertical movement'of the said leaf with respect to the stationary leaf in order topermit the finger 25 of the locking member to clear the adjacent opening 26 when operating the sign.

When the sign is in use the words For hire will be displayed at the top of the automobile in the manner shown in Fig.1 of the drawings. When the automobile has reat sub stantially one side of the ceived its quota of passengers, however, the device may be actuated to house or cover the sign by merely grasping the handle 23 and pressing upwardly thereon until the locking finger 25 is disengaged from the adjacent opening 26 and then rotating the handle until the finger 25 enters the other opening 26 at which time the leaf 9 carrying the pintle pin 19 will drop by gravity and thus lock the movable leaf 9 in closed position.

It will here be noted that the upper end of the plate or extension 16 is cut-away at 36 so as to accommodate the pivoted end of the movable leaf 9 and thus permit said leaf to swing laterally to open and closed positions.

In Fig. 5 of the drawings is illustrated a modified form of the invention in which the pintle pin 19" is in the form of a rod, the lower end of which is provided'with a finger loop 36 and the upper end thereof extended through an eye 37 formed on the stationary member 8, the construction and operation of the device being otherwise similar to that shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive.

While the sign holder is shown inconnection with an automobile itwill, of course, be understood that said sign holder may be applied to buildings, letter boxes, sign posts, or used wherever a device of this kind is found desirable or applicable. It will also be understood that the devices may be made in difierent sizes and shapes and that the cards may have any desired advertising matter printed thereon without departing from the spirit of the invention. It will, f thermore, be understood that if found desirable the display card may be carried by the stationary leaf 8 only and in which event the movable leaf 9 will serve to cover the sign when not in use; I In some cases the words Taken or Filled may be printed or otherwise represented on the rear-face of the movable leaf 9 so that when said movable leaf is moved to closed position these words will be displayed and thus notify pedestrians and others that the automobile is not for hire. Conversely if the sign is used for indicating that a house is for rent the word Rented may be printed on the rear face ofthe movable leaf so that when said movable leaf is swung to a position over the display card" the word Rented will appear. The device is extremely simple in construction and the parts thereof are so arranged th'atthey may be quickly assembled by an ordinary person without the employment of specially constructed tools for this purpose.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is: w

1. A sign holder including pivotally connected sign-carrying leaves, oneo'f which is sli'dab'ly mounted for vertical movement with respect to the other, means for actuating the vertically movable leaf to either ing the sign holder to a support,

a 1n elth display or cover the sign on the mating leaf. and means for locking the movable leaf in both open and closed positions.

2. A sign holder including relatively stationary and movable members each provided with a display opening, holding clips carried by said members and adapted to receive a display card, a handle depending from t e movable member for actuating the in either closed or open position.

3. A sign holder including relatively stationary and movable members, one of which is provided with a display surface, the stationary member being provided with a deand a lateral locking flange having a bearing opening therein, there being locking openings formed in the ange on opposite sides of the bearing opening, a pintle pin carried by the movable member and extending through the bearing opening to form an operating handle, and a locking member carried by the pintle pin and provided With a depending finger adapted to enter either one of the locking openings.

4. A sign holder including relatively stationary and movable sign-carrying members, one of said members being provided with a depending extension terminating in an angularly disposed locking flange, there being an opening formed in one portion of the extension and a segmental slot in another portion thereof, means extending through the 1n the extension for securing handle secured to the movab and a locking member carried by the movable member and adapted to engage the locking flange for holding the movable member er open or closed position.

5. A sign holder including pivotally united relatively stationary and movable Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of sign-carrying members, the stationary memher being provided with a SlOl'l terminating 1n a locking flange and the its pivot cut-away, a pintle pin carried by the movable member and having its upper end operatively connected with thestationary member and its lower end extended through the locking flange to form an operating handle, the upper portion of the extension being cut-away to accommodate the movable member, and a locking device carried by the pintle pin and adapted to engage the locking flange for holding the movable member in either open or closed position.

6. The combination with an attaching member having an offset portion and a smooth bearing face, of a sign holder detachably secured to said bearing face and including relatively stationary and movable sign-carrying members, the stationary signcarrying member being provided with an angularly disposed locking flange disposed in alinement with the oflset portion of the attaching member, a pintle pin carried by the movable end operatively connected with the stationary member and its through the locking flange at the offset portion of the attaching member, and a lockthe pintle pin and ing device carried by adapted to engage said locking flange for holding the movable member in either open or closed position.

7. A sign holder including neeted relatively stationary and movable members one of which is provided with a display surface and the other being slidably mounted for vertical movement with respect thereto, and means for actuating the movable member to either display or cover said surface.

In testimony whereof I atfix my signature.

MICHEL R. (JASTILLE. [L.S.]

pivotally con- Washington, D. G. 

